Control system for motor vehicles



H. E. LIPPERT CONTROL SYSTEM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Del. 20, 1932.

Original Filed Feb. 5, 1929 5 INVENTOR Reiasued Dec. 20, 1932' PATENTOFFICE.

HENRY E. LIPIE'RT. OE NORFOLK. VIRGINIA ('JOlll'EllItOI: SYSTEM FORMOTOR VEHICLES Original No. 1,881,025, dated October 4, 1932, Serial No.337,711, filed February 5. 1929. Application for reissue filed November7,

This invention relates. particularly to a common control for actuatingthe transmission and power operated clutch of a motor vehicle, but isnot limited thereto. The

prime object of'the invention is to simplify the controlling of a motorvehicle. control system relieves the strain on women operators and isalso useful to persons having a crippled leg. Other objects andadvantages will be apparent during the course of the followingdescription.

Similar reference characters in the different figures of the drawingindicate corresponding'elements or features of construction hereinreferred to. w

' Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a motor vehicle equippedwith an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a part sectional view of the com- 0 mon control illustrated inFigure 1.

' Fig. 3 is a view of the upper end of the common control; andillustratesthe means for rendering the clutch actuating part of thecommon control inoperative whereby 2 said control can be used to actuatethe transmission only.

In Figure 1 the numeral 1 des gnates the toeboard of an automobile, and2 the usual clutch pedal that.may be operated manually or by a fluidmotor 3. (Iv do not limit myself to the. type or location of the fluidmotor shown and described herein, and'it should be understood that anytype of fluid motor may be used if itsobject is to actuate the clutch.)The fluid motor 3 is actuated by the suction created in the manifold 4of the vehicle engine (not shown) and is connected to the manifold 4 bvthe conduit 5. (I have shown and described my invention in con- 4nection with the man fold of the vehicle engine, but any source ofsuction may be used.)

a A valve A in the conduit 5 controls communication between the manifold4 and the fluid motor 3.

' To insure instant release of the clutch when the control valve A isopened I have provided the reservoir 6 in the conduit 5 between thecontrol valve' A and the manifold 4. When the vehicle engine is runningand 'the valve A is closed the pressure in the fluid This 'mon control8.

1932. Serial No. 641,687.

motor 3 is the same as atmospheric pressure and an almost completevacuum is main tained in the reservoir 6. When the valve A is opened,making a communication between the reservoir 6 and the fluid motor 3,the pressure in both tend to neutralize and instantly the fluid motor 3actuates.

The control valve'A is opened by downward movement of a telescopicallymounted section 7 at the u per end of the common control 8. It can beseen in Figure 2 that the valve casing 9 of the valveA forms the lowerportion of the common control 8, and has a lower port 10 incommunication with the manifold 4. The upper port 11 is in communicationwith the air. The port 12, located between the ports 10 and 11, is incommunication with the fluid motor 3. A spool valve 13 is slidablymounted in the valve casing 9 and makes communication between To thefluid motor port 12 and the air port 11, or the fluid motor port 12- andthe vacuum port 10. Secured to the spool valve 13 is a rod 14 whichextends upwardly through the common control 8 and is secured at its topend to the telescopically'mountedsection 7. The spool valve 13 isnormally held to make communication between the fluid motor port 12 andthe air port 11 by a spring 15 positioned in any desirable location inthe com- Downward movement of the telescopically mounted section'7breaks communication between the fluid motor port 12 and the air port11, and makes communication between the fluid motor port 12 and thevacuumport 10. (I do not limit myself to the valve des gn shown anddescribed herein, but any suitable valve may be employed.)

To actuate the clutch at the desired rate of speed I have provided theadjusting screws16 and 17 in vacuum and air ports respectively forvarying the cross-sectional area of said ports. By decreasing the areaof the air port 11 with the screw 17 the clutch is engaged slowly andbydncreasing the area the clutch is engaged rap-idly. By decreasing thearea of the vacuum port 10 with the screw 16 the clutch is relea'sedslowly and by increasing the area the clutch is released rapidly.

Occasionally it may be desirable or necessary to render the hand controlfor actuating erable means can be used to actuate said seethe clutch bypower ino erative, and use the 0nd element of the vehicle only.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set conventional pedal 2 ordisengaging the clutch by manual efiort. For this purpose I haveprovided a pin 22 fixed to the common control 8 and adapted to move inthe L- shaped slot 23 in the telescopically mounted section 7. Inoperating position the pin 22 slides in the vertical portion 24 of the'L- shaped slot 23. To prevent the clutch from being operatedby'power,the telescopically mounted section 7 is turned-until the in 22 engagesthe lateral portion'25 of theL- aped slot 23 which-prevents verticalmovement of the telescopically mounted section 7 From the structuredescribed in this paragraph it is apparent that the common controlmay beused to actuate boththe transmission and clutch v of ,.1the vehicle,sjorbe asa gear shift lever only. U I

Although I have shown and described a.

compact embodiment of my invention that can be cheaply manufactured, itshould be understood that the invention is not limited to this articularconstruction, and that modifications of the separate parts and variousarrangements of the difierent elements may be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, is:

In a control system. for motor driven vehicles, a pedal for disengagingthe clutch of the vehicle by manual efiort, a vacuum operated motor fordisengaging the clutch by power, a source of suction, means connectingthe vacuum operated motor with the source of suction includinga conduitproviding communication therebetween and a .valve interposed in} theconduit, separate and apart from the vacuum operated motor, forcontrolling communication therebetween, said means having an atmosphereinlet therein intermediate the vacuum operated motor and the source ofsuction for admitting atmosphere to the vacuum operated motor, meansarranged at the atmosphere inlet to vary the rate at which atmosphere isadmitted to the vacuum operated vmotorand thereby vary the speed ofengagement of the clutch, common manually operable means for actuatingthe valve and thereby control the vacuum operated motor my hand.

and for actuating a second elementof the ,vehicle in controlling thelatter, means- 0 eratively connecting the common manual y operable meanswith the valve whereby movementof the common manually operable meanswill directly actuate the valve, and .means for rendering bothj'thevalve inopin communication with the source of suction and the commonmanually operable means in-- operative to control the vacuum operatedv.erative to place the vacuum operated motor

